In this episode of The Buzz, powered by APL Logistics, Scott Luton is joined by Marty Parker and special guest Thomas Beil, founder and CEO of Perfect Planner, for a timely conversation on supply chain performance, workforce challenges, decision intelligence, and the future of planning. The conversation explores what leading supply chain organizations have in common, including customer focus, leadership alignment, clear strategy, balanced metrics, and a culture of innovation. Scott, Marty, and Thomas also discuss the growing memory chip crunch, how retailers are using tariff refunds to lower prices, and the rising demand for supply chain talent with AI skills. The discussion then dives into the democratization of expertise, the power of AI to capture institutional knowledge, and why decision intelligence may be the missing layer between data visibility and better execution. Thomas also shares how Perfect Planner is helping manufacturers move beyond spreadsheets and into a more proactive, standardized, and scalable planning process. Key Takeaways: The five traits leading supply chain organizations consistently demonstrate Why technology projects often fail because of leadership and process issues, not the technology itself How the memory chip shortage is being driven by AI infrastructure demand Why supply chain talent, AI skills, and…

AI adoption is not really a technology question. It’s a trust question, and trust levels shift dramatically depending on where a company operates and who its customers are. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and co-host Bill Huber, retired VP CFO at VELUX, speak with Theodora Lau, founder of Unconventional Ventures, about trust and AI adoption, open banking and data interoperability, fragmented data versus bad data, workforce retraining, and the lessons global supply chains can borrow from fintech. Theo explains how to tell healthy friction from harmful friction, treat fragmented data differently from bad data, judge AI initiatives by outcomes instead of token usage, and build systems that keep people, not service providers, in control of their own data.   This episode is hosted by Scott W. Luton with special guest co-host Bill Huber. Produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton.   Additional Links & Resources Check out all the great resources and information mentioned during the show: Connect with Theodora Lau Connect with Bill Huber Learn more about Unconventional Ventures Learn more about VELUX Learn more about Supply Chain Now Learn more about our hosts Want more Supply Chain Now? We know you can’t…